It's a pity that this film did not make it to the local cinemas for public screening. I recall watching the trailer in a theatre, and was eagerly anticipating it, but it never came. The major reason was that after being convinced that Jim Carrey could do drama (The Truman Show preceded this), I couldn't wait for The Majestic to open its doors. Good thing I managed to get hold of the DVD at library@Esplanade.
And I wasn't disappointed! Carrey plays Peter Appleton, a Hollywood screenwriter in the 50s who works for HHS Studios. His story has been filmed and is screening at the theatres, the love of the life is an actress casted in the movie, he has one more work in the pipeline, so everthing seemed to be going for him. Until he was accused of being a Communist by Congress, and his entire love and work life turns upside down.
While on a drunken stupor, Peter meets with an accident, loses his memory and ends up in the small town of Lawson, California. While he can't remember who he was, the entire town seemed to know him, as Luke Trimble, a teen who had served and died for his country in WWII. And many of the young lads of Lawson did. Harry Trimble (Martin Landau) couldn't believe his eyes when he sees Peter, thinking of him as his son, and so did everyone else in Lawson.
They throw a hero's welcome for Peter/Luke, and celebrate his bringing of new hope to the sleepy town. Skeptical at first was Luke's childhood sweetheart Adele Stanton (Laurie Holden), but it's not before long she casts her doubts aside and falls for Peter/Luke all over again.
The charm of a small town is heavily contrasted with that of Hollwood's, with everyone knowing everyone else in the former, to the coldness and business like manner of the latter. Everyone in Lawson experiences positive energy given Peter/Luke's presence, and Harry decides to refurbish and reopen The Majestic, the town's cinema, where he and Luke lives in the apartment above. Perhaps it is this sequence of restoration running in parallel with the rekindling romance between Peter/Luke and Adele that is my favourite in this movie.
But like a fairy tale, all good things must come to an end, and Peter/Luke eventually rediscovered who he was when he chanced upon his own movie being screened at The Majestic. Soon enough, his old life catches up to him, and he's left to choose to fight the fight and stand up for what he believes in, or throw in the towel and his integrity along with it.
It's kinda interesting to have real events, like WWII and the anti-communist movement in Hollywood frame the background of what essentially is a love story, and a story of discovering oneself. And to that, Carrey did no wrong. While Truman Show had shades of some comedy (probably as a cushion to the transition), The Majestic is all serious drama and romance, and credit to Carrey for successfully pulling it off. While Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had been my movie of the year 2004, I seriously think that The Majestic could have been a contender of mine for 2001. The number of cameo voices in this movie is astounding too, from Matt Damon to Garry Marshall, Sydney Pollack and Rob Reiner too.
So do yourself a favour, especially if you're not a Carrey fan. Your impression of him might change after you've seen him in this movie. It's filled with many touching moments in this 2 1/2hr movie, and brings back the splendour of a time where movies were a grand escape from the mundaneness of life.
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